Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 28. (Budapest, 2012)

Diána RADVÁNYI: The Early Products and Brief History of the Porcelain Factory of Regéc

for novel ways, trying out a long range of forms and using them with more or less success in the products. This explains why some of their products recognizably copy other factories' goods, others are unique, peculiar and highly refined. Trademarks In the initial periods, the objects were marked consistently and thoroughly: until the 1860s, not only the trademark but the year of making and other information was also given. The latter marks are identified by some researchers as "form numbers" or initials of the form maker, though no proof substantiates the latter. In this period, the trademark was Regécz, REGECZ or REGÉTZ stamped into the soft material before firing, with the year without the digit 1 added (except in a few years).

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0 There is no date on the objects from Telkibánya after 1865, but a key to dating is that Gyula Fiedler marked his porcelain with his own name (FIEDLER GY/TELKIBÁNYÁN), and later the majolica vessels were made with the surname of Gyula Wittich (WITTICFI

/TELKIBÁNYA). There is also a voluminous group of objects that only feature TELKIBÁNYA. Some pieces bear painted dates and inscriptions. The trademark REGÉCZ is often coupled with further digits and sometimes letters. The exact denotation of these is not yet clarified. Some attempts were made to identify some of them as form numbers and others as marks of a master, e.g. Katona attributes the letter H to János Hüttner,

31 while Molnár associates the ornate mark looking like the digit 1 (with an anchor-like figure at the bottom), which can be found on several objects of sublime beauty, with János Mayer,

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2 both researchers looking for analogies in products of other (Miskolc and Pápa) factories. The numbers were usually taken for form numbers, which is, however, hard to verify because the same numbers occur on vessels of quite different shapes. Models, examples The examples probably in use in the factory must have been Viennese and Czech porcelain items. These were most widespread and best known in Hungary, satisfying the tastes of a relatively wide stratum of customers. The earliest pieces bearing the date 1831 - the so-called "marriage vases" - reveal the direct influence of Viennese porcelain, (fig. 1) The two identical vases are crater-shaped on bases, with ears in the shape of winged lions. The bases were made separately and fastened to the vases with metal screws. The vases are richly gilded and feature mythological scenes on either side. They are traditionally believed to have been made for the wedding of Ferdinánd Breczenheim as a gift. Special literature interprets the scene as depictions of love. In Mihalik's view, on one side Zeus whispers his desire into Amor's ear, the lady on the other side hearkening to the message.

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3 Imre Katona thought the boy was Aetus who was Zeus's playmate whom Hera turned into an eagle because she feared he was Zeus's lover, while he identified the other scene as Pan playing his pipe to his love the Moon goddess Selene.

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4 These identifications need revising. The decorator of the Régec vase pair must have copied the decoration of a Viennese specimen from around the same time. One of the scenes can be spotted on a Viennese porcelain coffee cup stamped with the date 826 (1826)

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5 in the Marton collection in Zagreb. Its earlier variant with slight modification is a plate made in the Vienna factory and dated 96 (1796), painted 79